PEPCO HOLDINGS, INC. (a Delaware corporation) 14,000,000 Shares of Common Stock PURCHASE AGREEMENT
PEPCO HOLDINGS, INC.
(a Delaware corporation)
14,000,000 Shares of Common
Stock
Dated: November
5, 2008
Table
of Contents
|
|||
Page
|
|||
SECTION
1.
|
Representations
and Warranties
|
3
|
|
(a)
|
Representations
and Warranties of the Company
|
3
|
|
(i)
|
Compliance
with Securities Law Requirements
|
3
|
|
(ii)
|
Incorporated
Documents
|
5
|
|
(iii
|
Independent
Accountants
|
5
|
|
(iv)
|
Financial
Statements
|
5
|
|
(v)
|
No
Material Adverse Change in Business
|
5
|
|
(vi)
|
Good
Standing of the Company
|
6
|
|
(vii)
|
Subsidiaries
of the Company
|
6
|
|
(viii)
|
Capitalization
|
6
|
|
(ix)
|
Authorization
of this Agreement
|
6
|
|
(x)
|
Authorization
and Description of Securities
|
6
|
|
(xi)
|
Absence
of Defaults and Conflicts
|
7
|
|
(xii)
|
Absence
of Labor Disputes
|
7
|
|
(xiii)
|
Absence
of Proceedings
|
7
|
|
(xiv)
|
Absence
of Further Requirements
|
8
|
|
(xv)
|
Possession
of Licenses and Permits
|
8
|
|
(xvi)
|
Title
to Property
|
8
|
|
(xvii)
|
Leases
|
8
|
|
(xviii)
|
Investment
Company Act
|
8
|
|
(xix)
|
Environmental
Laws
|
8
|
|
(xx)
|
Internal
Controls
|
9
|
|
(xxi)
|
Compliance
with Sarbanes Oxley
|
10
|
|
(b)
|
Officer’s
Certificates
|
10
|
|
SECTION
2.
|
Sale
and Delivery to Underwriters; Closing; Covenants of the
Underwriters
|
10
|
|
(a)
|
Initial
Securities
|
10
|
|
(b)
|
Option
Securities
|
10
|
|
(c)
|
Payment
|
11
|
|
(d)
|
Denominations;
Registration
|
11
|
|
(e)
|
Delivery
of Global Securities
|
11
|
|
(f)
|
Notice
of Completion
|
11
|
|
(g)
|
Use
of Free Writing Prospectuses
|
11
|
|
SECTION
3.
|
Covenants
of the Company
|
12
|
|
(a)
|
Preparation
and Filing of the Prospectus
|
12
|
|
(b)
|
Review
of Amendments and Supplements
|
12
|
|
(c)
|
Free
Writing Prospectuses
|
12
|
|
(d)
|
Notification
of Commission Comments and Orders, Etc.
|
12
|
|
(e)
|
Delivery
of Registration Statements
|
12
|
|
(f)
|
Delivery
of Prospectuses
|
12
|
|
(g)
|
Continued
Compliance with Securities Laws
|
13
|
|
(h)
|
Blue
Sky Qualifications
|
13
|
|
(i)
|
Rule
158
|
14
|
|
(j)
|
Filing
Fees
|
14
|
i
(k)
|
Use
of Proceeds
|
14
|
|
(l)
|
Listing
|
14
|
|
(m)
|
Restriction
on Sale of Securities
|
14
|
|
SECTION
4.
|
Payment
of Expenses
|
14
|
|
(a)
|
Expenses
Payable by the Company
|
14
|
|
(b)
|
Expenses
Payable by the Underwriters
|
15
|
|
(c)
|
Expenses
Upon Termination
|
15
|
|
SECTION
5.
|
Conditions
of Underwriters’ Obligations; Termination of Agreement
|
15
|
|
(a)
|
Conditions
|
15
|
|
(i)
|
No
Stop Order; Commission Filings
|
15
|
|
(ii)
|
Opinions
of Counsel for Company
|
15
|
|
(iii
|
Opinion
of Counsel for the Underwriters
|
15
|
|
(iv)
|
No
Material Adverse Change; Officers’ Certificate
|
16
|
|
(v)
|
Accountant’s
Comfort Letter
|
16
|
|
(vi)
|
Bring-down
Comfort Letter
|
16
|
|
(vii)
|
Approval
of Listing
|
16
|
|
(viii)
|
Lock-up
Agreements
|
16
|
|
(ix)
|
Conditions
to Purchase of Option Securities
|
16
|
|
(x)
|
Additional
Documents
|
17
|
|
(b)
|
Termination
of Agreement
|
17
|
|
SECTION
6.
|
Indemnification
|
17
|
|
(a)
|
Indemnification
of Underwriters
|
17
|
|
(b)
|
Indemnification
of Company, Directors and Officers
|
18
|
|
(c)
|
Actions
against Parties; Notification
|
18
|
|
SECTION
7.
|
Contribution
|
19
|
|
SECTION
8.
|
Representations,
Warranties and Agreements to Survive
|
20
|
|
SECTION
9.
|
Termination
of Agreement
|
20
|
|
(a)
|
Termination;
General
|
20
|
|
(b)
|
Liabilities
|
20
|
|
SECTION
10.
|
Default
by One or More of the Underwriters
|
20
|
|
SECTION
11.
|
Notices
|
21
|
|
SECTION
12.
|
Parties
in Interest
|
21
|
|
SECTION
13.
|
No
Advisory or Fiduciary Relationship
|
22
|
|
SECTION
14.
|
Governing
Law and Time
|
22
|
|
SECTION
15.
|
Counterparts
|
22
|
|
SECTION
16.
|
Entire
Agreement
|
22
|
|
SECTION
17.
|
Effects
of Headings
|
22
|
ii
SCHEDULES
|
|||
Schedule
A -
|
List
of Underwriters
|
Sch
A-1
|
|
Schedule
B -
|
Issuer
Free Writing Prospectuses
|
Sch
B-1
|
|
Schedule
C -
|
List
of Designated Subsidiaries
|
Sch
C-1
|
|
Schedule
D -
|
List
of Persons to Execute Lock-Up Agreements
|
Sch
D-1
|
|
EXHIBITS
|
|||
Exhibit
A -
|
Form
of Opinion of Xxxx X. Xxxx, Esq
|
A-1
|
|
Exhibit
B -
|
Form
of Opinion of Xxxxxxxxx & Xxxxxxx LLP
|
B-1
|
|
Exhibit
C -
|
Form
of Lock-Up Agreement
|
C-1
|
iii
PEPCO
HOLDINGS, INC.
(a
Delaware corporation)
14,000,000
Shares of Common Stock
November
5, 2008
Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxx & Co. Incorporated
0000
Xxxxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx,
Xxx Xxxx 00000
Credit
Suisse Securities (USA) LLC
Eleven
Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx,
Xxx Xxxx 00000
X.X.
Xxxxxx Securities Inc.
000 Xxxx
Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx,
Xxx Xxxx 00000
As
Representatives of the Several Underwriters
Ladies
and Gentlemen:
Pepco Holdings, Inc., a Delaware
corporation (the “Company”) confirms its
agreement (the “Agreement”) with Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxx & Co. Incorporated (“Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx”), Credit
Suisse Securities (USA) LLC (“Credit Suisse”) and X.X.
Xxxxxx Securities Inc. (“JPMorgan”) and each of the
other Underwriters named in Schedule A hereto (collectively, the “Underwriters”, which term
shall also include any underwriter substituted as hereinafter provided in
Section 10 hereof), for whom Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx, Credit Suisse and JPMorgan are
acting as representatives (in such capacity, the “Representatives”) with respect
to the issue and sale by the Company and the purchase by the Underwriters,
acting severally and not jointly, of the respective numbers of shares of Common
Stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company (the “Common Stock”) set forth in
Schedule A, and with respect to the grant by the Company to the Underwriters,
acting severally and not jointly, of the option described in Section 2(b) hereof
to purchase all or any part of 2,100,000 additional shares of Common Stock to
cover over-allotments, if any. The 14,000,000 shares of Common Stock
(the “Initial
Securities”) to be purchased by the Underwriters and all or any part of
the 2,100,000 shares of Common Stock subject to the option set forth in Section
2(b) hereof (the “Option
Securities”) are hereinafter called, collectively, the “Securities”.
The Company understands that the
Underwriters propose to make a public offering of the Securities promptly after
this Agreement has been executed and delivered.
On August 24, 2007, the Company filed
with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a registration
statement on Form S-3 (No. 333-145691), for the registration of securities,
including the Securities, under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the
“1933 Act”), and the
offer and sale thereof from time to time in accordance with Rule 415 of the
rules and regulations of the Commission under the 1933 Act (the “1933 Act
Regulations”).
When used in this Agreement, the
following terms have the specified meanings:
“Applicable Time” means 6:45
P.M. (Eastern time), on November 5, 2008.
“Base Prospectus” means the
base prospectus relating to the Securities filed as part of the Registration
Statement, in the form in which it has been most recently filed with the
Commission prior to the date of this Agreement.
“Disclosure Package” means,
collectively, (i) the Pricing Prospectus, (ii) the information with respect to
the number of Initial Securities, the maximum number of Option Securities, the
price per share to be paid to the Company for the Securities and the initial
public offering price per share of the Initial Securities and (iii) each General
Use Free Writing Prospectus listed on Schedule B.
“Effective Time” means the
date and time of the effectiveness of the Registration Statement for purposes of
paragraph (f)(2) of Rule 430B of the 1933 Act Regulations, as applied to the
Underwriters.
“General Use Issuer Free Writing
Prospectus” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is intended for
general distribution to prospective investors, as evidenced by its being so
specified on Schedule B.
“Issuer Free Writing
Prospectus” means any “issuer free writing prospectus” (as defined by
Rule 433 of the 1933 Act Regulations (“Rule 433”)) with respect to
the Securities.
“Limited Use Issuer Free Writing
Prospectus” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is not a
General Use Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, as evidenced by its being so
specified on Schedule B.
“Preliminary Prospectus” means
either (i) the Base Prospectus or (ii) the Base Prospectus as supplemented by a
preliminary prospectus supplement provided by the Company to the Underwriters
for use in connection with the offering of the Securities, in either case as
filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the 1933 Act Regulations
(“Rule
424(b)”).
“Pricing Prospectus” means the
Preliminary Prospectus in the form most recently provided to the Underwriters
for use in connection with the offering of the Securities prior to the
Applicable Time.
“Prospectus” means the Base
Prospectus as supplemented by the final prospectus supplement relating to the
offer and sale of the Securities, as filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule
424(b).
“Registration Statement” means,
as of any particular time, the Company’s registration statement on Form S-3 (No.
333-145691), referred to above, including (a) any amendments thereto at such
time, (b) the exhibits and schedules thereto at such time and (c) any prospectus
filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) that, in accordance with Rule
430B of the 1933 Act Regulations (“Rule 430B”), is deemed to be a
part thereof.
The foregoing definitions are subject
to the following qualifications:
(a) all
references in this Agreement to the Registration Statement, any Preliminary
Prospectus or the Prospectus or to any of the financial statements, schedules or
other information that is “contained”, “included” or “stated” (or other words of
like import) therein shall be deemed to include the information contained
in documents filed with the Commission under the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934, as amended (the “1934 Act”), that are
incorporated, or deemed incorporated, therein by reference
2
pursuant
to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act, to the extent such information has
not been superseded or modified in accordance with Rule 412 under the 1933 Act
(as qualified by Rule 430B(g) of the 1933 Act Regulations) and (i) in the case
of references to the “Registration Statement” are filed with the Commission at
or prior to the Effective Time and (ii) in the case of references to any
“Preliminary Prospectus” or the “Prospectus” are filed with the Commission at or
prior to the date thereof;
(b) all
references in this Agreement to an amendment to the Registration Statement shall
be deemed to include any document filed under the 1934 Act subsequent to the
Effective Time that is deemed incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item
12 of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act;
(c) all
references in this Agreement to an amendment or supplement to any Preliminary
Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to include any document filed under
the 1934 Act subsequent to the date thereof that is deemed incorporated by
reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act;
and
(d) all
references in this Agreement to the Registration Statement, any Preliminary
Prospectus, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement to any of the
foregoing shall be deemed to include the copy filed with the Commission pursuant
to its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval system (“XXXXX”).
SECTION
1. Representations and
Warranties.
(a) Representations and Warranties
of the Company. The Company represents and warrants
to each Underwriter on the date of this Agreement, at the Applicable Time, at
the Closing Time (as hereinafter defined) and as of each Date of Delivery (if
any) referred to in Section 2(b) hereof, as follows:
|
(i)
|
Compliance with
Securities Law Requirements.
|
(A) Well-Known Seasoned Issuer
Status. At the time the Registration Statement was filed with the
Commission, the Company was a “well-known seasoned issuer” as defined in Rule
405 of the 1933 Act Regulations.
(B) Eligibility to Use Form
S-3. At the time the Registration Statement was filed with the
Commission, the Company met the requirements for use of Form S-3 under the 1933
Act.
(C) Status and Content of the
Registration Statement. The Registration Statement became effective
automatically upon the filing thereof with the Commission under the 1933 Act on
August 24, 2007. No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the
Registration Statement has been issued under the 1933 Act and no proceedings for
that purpose have been instituted by the Commission or are pending or, to the
knowledge of the Company, are contemplated by the Commission, and any request on
the part of the Commission for additional information with respect to the
Registration Statement has been complied with. At the time the
Registration Statement became effective, at the time of each amendment, if any,
to the Registration Statement for purposes of complying with Section 10(a)(3) of
the 1933 Act and at the Effective Time, the Registration Statement complied in
all material respects with the requirements of the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act
Regulations. At the Effective Time, the Registration Statement did
not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material
fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein
not misleading.
3
(D) Status and Content of the
Preliminary Prospectus. Each Preliminary Prospectus, as of its
date and at the time it was filed with the Commission, conformed in all material
respects with the requirements of the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations, and
did not contain any untrue statement of material fact or omit to state any
material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of
the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. Each
Preliminary Prospectus delivered to the Underwriters in connection with the
offering of the Securities was identical to the electronically transmitted
copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to XXXXX (except that the
registration fee table has been deleted from the cover thereof), except to the
extent permitted by Regulation S-T. No order preventing or suspending
the use of any Preliminary Prospectus has been issued by the
Commission.
(E) Issuer Free Writing
Prospectuses. At the earliest time after the filing of the
Registration Statement that the Company or another offering participant made a
bona fide offer (within the meaning of Rule 164(h)(2) of the 1933 Act
Regulations) of the Securities, the Company was not an “ineligible issuer” as
defined in Rule 405 of the 1933 Act Regulations. Each General Use
Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, at the time it was filed with the Commission
pursuant to Rule 433, and each Limited Use Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, at
the time it was presented to prospective investors, (i) did not include any
information that conflicts with (A) information contained in the Registration
Statement, including any prospectus or prospectus supplement that is part of the
Registration Statement, and not superseded or modified, or (B) information
contained in the Company’s periodic and current reports filed with the
Commission pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the 1934 Act that are incorporated
or deemed incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, and not
superseded or modified, and (ii) complied in all other respects with the
requirements of Rule 164 and Rule 433 (without reliance on subsections (b), (c)
and (d) of Rule 164). No order preventing or suspending the use of
any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus has been issued by the
Commission.
(F) Content of the Disclosure
Package. The Disclosure Package, and the Disclosure Package
considered together with any Limited Use Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, at the
Applicable Time, did not, and, at the Closing Time (and, if any Option
Securities are purchased, at each Date of Delivery (as hereinafter defined)),
will not, contain any untrue statement of material fact or omit to state any
material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of
the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
(G) Status and Content of the
Prospectus. The Prospectus, as of its date, at the time it is
filed with the Commission and at the Closing Time (and, if any Option Securities
are purchased, at each Date of Delivery), will conform in all material respects
with the requirements of the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations and will not
contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact
necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the
circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The
Prospectus delivered to the Underwriters in connection with the offering of the
Securities will be identical to the copy thereof filed electronically with the
Commission pursuant to XXXXX (except that the registration fee table will be
deleted from the cover thereof), except to the extent permitted by Regulation
S-T.
(H) Description and Filing of
Contracts and Documents. All contracts or documents that are
required to be described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Prospectus
or the Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement have
been so described and filed as required.
4
The
representations and warranties in this subsection (a) shall not apply to any
statements in or omissions from the Registration Statement, any Preliminary
Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Disclosure Package or the
Prospectus made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished to
the Company in writing by any Underwriter expressly for use
therein.
(ii) Incorporated
Documents. The documents incorporated or deemed incorporated
by reference in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the
Prospectus, at the time they were or hereafter are filed with the Commission,
complied or will comply, as applicable, in all material respects with the
requirements of the 1934 Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission
thereunder (the “1934 Act
Regulations”) and, when filed did not and will not contain any untrue
statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be
stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not
misleading. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the
information included in the Company’s Proxy Statement for the 2008 Annual
Meeting in response to Item 402 of Regulation S-K under the 1934 Act and
incorporated by reference in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the
year ended December 31, 2007, complied in all material respects with the
requirements of Item 402 and was true and correct in all material respects as of
the date of the Proxy Statement.
(iii) Independent
Accountants. The accountants who audited the consolidated
financial statements and financial statement schedules included in the
Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus are
independent registered public accountants within the meaning of
Regulation S-X of the Commission.
(iv) Financial
Statements. The consolidated financial statements, together
with the respective schedules and notes relating thereto, included in the
Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, present
fairly the financial position of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries
at the dates indicated and the results of operations and cash flows of the
Company and its consolidated subsidiaries for the periods specified; said
financial statements have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted
accounting principles (“GAAP”) applied on a consistent
basis throughout the periods involved, except as otherwise stated
therein. The selected financial data and the summary financial
information included in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and
the Prospectus present fairly the information shown therein and have been
compiled on a basis consistent with that of the audited financial statements
included in the Registration Statement. Any pro forma financial
information included in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or
the Prospectus present fairly the information shown therein, have been prepared
in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines with respect to pro
forma financial information and have been properly compiled on the bases
described therein, and the assumptions used in the preparation thereof are
reasonable and the adjustments used therein are appropriate to give effect to
the transactions and circumstances referred to therein. The financial
statements and other financial data included in the Registration Statement, each
Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus comply in all material respects with
the requirements of paragraph (e) of Item 10 of Regulation S-K.
(v) No Material Adverse Change
in Business. Since the date of the latest audited balance
sheet included in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and except as
disclosed therein, there has been no material adverse change in the business,
condition (financial or otherwise) or results of operations of the Company and
its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, whether or not arising in the
ordinary course of business (any such change, a “Material Adverse
Change”).
5
(vi) Good Standing of the
Company. The Company has been duly organized and is validly
existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of
Delaware and has the corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its
properties and to conduct its business as described in the Disclosure Package
and the Prospectus and to enter into and perform its obligations under this
Agreement; and the Company is duly qualified as a foreign corporation to
transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which such
qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of
property or the conduct of business, except where the failure so to qualify or
to be in good standing would not have a material adverse effect on the business,
condition (financial or otherwise) or results of operations of the Company and
its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, whether or not arising in the
ordinary course of business (any such effect, a “Material Adverse
Effect”).
(vii) Subsidiaries of the
Company. Each “significant subsidiary” of the Company (as such
term is defined in Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X), each of which is listed on
Schedule C hereto, and each additional subsidiary listed on Schedule C hereto
(together with the significant subsidiaries, each, a “Designated Subsidiary” and,
collectively, the “Designated
Subsidiaries”), has been duly organized and is validly existing as a
corporation in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its
incorporation, has corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its
properties and to conduct its business as described in the Disclosure Package
and the Prospectus and is duly qualified as a foreign corporation to transact
business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which such
qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of
property or the conduct of business, except where the failure so to qualify or
to be in good standing would not result in a Material Adverse Effect; all of the
issued and outstanding capital stock of each Designated Subsidiary has been duly
authorized and validly issued, is fully paid and non-assessable and, except for
preferred stock, is owned by the Company, directly or through
subsidiaries. All capital stock of each Designated Subsidiary owned
by the Company, directly or through subsidiaries, is owned free and clear of any
security interest, mortgage, pledge, lien, encumbrance, claim or equity; and
none of the outstanding shares of capital stock of any Designated Subsidiary was
issued in violation of the preemptive or similar rights of any securityholder of
such Designated Subsidiary.
(viii) Capitalization. The
authorized, issued and outstanding capital stock of the Company is as set forth
in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (except
for any issuances subsequent to the date of the latest balance sheet included in
the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus pursuant
to reservations, employee benefit plans, non-employee director plans and
shareholder plans of the Company and its subsidiaries, which reservations or
plans are referred to in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and
the Prospectus). The shares of issued and outstanding capital stock
of the Company have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid
and non-assessable; none of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the
Company was issued in violation of the preemptive or other similar rights of any
securityholder of the Company.
(ix) Authorization of this
Agreement. This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed
and delivered by the Company.
(x) Authorization and
Description of Securities. The Securities have been duly
authorized by the Company and, when issued and delivered by the Company pursuant
to this Agreement against payment of the consideration set forth herein, will be
validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable; the description of the Common
Stock contained in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the
Prospectus is accurate in all material respects; no holder of the Securities
will be subject to personal liability in respect of liabilities of the
Company
6
solely by
reason of being a holder of the Securities; and the issuance of the Securities
is not subject to the preemptive or other similar rights of any securityholder
of the Company.
(xi) Absence of Defaults and
Conflicts. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is
in violation of its respective certificate or articles of incorporation or
by-laws or in default in the performance or observance of any obligation,
agreement, covenant or condition contained in any contract, indenture, mortgage,
deed of trust, loan or credit agreement, note, lease or other agreement or
instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by
which it or any of them may be bound, or to which any of the property or assets
of the Company or any subsidiary is subject (collectively, “Agreements and Instruments”)
except for such defaults as have not resulted, and are not reasonably expected
to result, in a Material Adverse Effect; and the execution, delivery and
performance of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions
contemplated herein (including the issuance and sale of the Securities and the
use of the proceeds from the sale of the Securities as described in the
Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus) and
compliance by the Company with its obligations hereunder have been duly
authorized by all necessary corporate action and do not and will not, whether
with or without the giving of notice or passage of time or both, conflict with
or constitute a breach of, or default or Repayment Event (as defined below)
under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or
encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company or any of its
subsidiaries pursuant to, the Agreements and Instruments (except for such
conflicts, breaches or defaults or liens, charges or encumbrances that would not
result in a Material Adverse Effect), nor will such action result in any
violation of the provisions of the certificate or articles of incorporation or
by-laws of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any applicable law,
statute, rule, regulation, judgment, order, writ or decree of any government,
government instrumentality or court, domestic or foreign, having jurisdiction
over the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their assets, properties
or operations. As used herein, a “Repayment Event” means any
event or condition that gives the holder of any note, debenture or other
evidence of indebtedness (or any person acting on such holder’s behalf) the
right to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or a portion of
such indebtedness by the Company or any of its subsidiaries.
(xii) Absence of Labor
Disputes. No labor dispute with the employees of the Company
or any of its subsidiaries exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is
imminent, and the Company is not aware of any existing or imminent labor
disturbance by the employees of any of its or any of its subsidiaries’ principal
suppliers, manufacturers, customers or contractors, which, in either case, could
reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(xiii) Absence of
Proceedings. There is no action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or
investigation before or brought by any court or governmental agency or body,
domestic or foreign, now pending, or, to the knowledge of the Company,
threatened, against or affecting the Company or any subsidiary, that (A) is
required to be disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Prospectus
or the Prospectus and is not disclosed as required, (B) could reasonably be
expected to materially and adversely affect the consummation of the transactions
contemplated in this Agreement or the performance by the Company of its
obligations hereunder or (C) except as disclosed in the Registration Statement,
the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, could reasonably be expected to
result in a Material Adverse Effect. The aggregate of all pending
legal or governmental proceedings to which the Company or any subsidiary is a
party or of which any of their respective properties or assets is the subject
that are not described in the Pricing Prospectus, including ordinary routine
litigation incidental to the business, could not reasonably be expected to
result in a Material Adverse Effect.
7
(xiv) Absence of Further
Requirements. All filings with, and authorizations, approvals,
consents, licenses, orders, registrations, qualifications or decrees of, any
court or governmental authority or agency that are necessary or required for the
performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder, in connection with the
offering, issuance or sale of the Securities hereunder or the consummation of
the transactions contemplated by this Agreement have been obtained, except such
as may be required under the 1933 Act or the 1933 Act Regulations or under state
securities laws, and the Company has complied with all terms and conditions
contained in such authorizations, approvals, consents, licenses, orders,
registrations, qualifications or decrees as have been obtained.
(xv) Possession of Licenses and
Permits. The Company and its subsidiaries possess such
permits, licenses, approvals, consents and other authorizations (collectively,
“Governmental Licenses”)
issued by the appropriate federal, state, local or foreign regulatory agencies
or bodies necessary to conduct the business now operated by them and are in
compliance with the terms and conditions of all such Governmental Licenses,
except (a) as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package
and the Prospectus or (b) where the failure so to possess any such Governmental
License or to comply therewith would not, singly or in the aggregate, have a
Material Adverse Effect; all of the Governmental Licenses are valid and in full
force and effect, except where the invalidity of such Governmental Licenses or
the failure of such Governmental Licenses to be in full force and effect would
not have a Material Adverse Effect; and neither the Company nor any of its
subsidiaries has received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation
or modification of any such Governmental Licenses, the revocation or
modification of which would, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material
Adverse Effect.
(xvi) Title to
Property. The Company and its subsidiaries have good and
marketable title to all real property owned by the Company and its subsidiaries
and good title to all other properties owned by them, in each case, free and
clear of all mortgages, pledges, liens, security interests, claims, restrictions
or encumbrances of any kind except such as (a) are described in the Registration
Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or (b) do not, singly or in
the aggregate, materially affect the value of such property and do not
materially interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property
by the Company or any of its subsidiaries.
(xvii) Leases. All
of the leases and subleases material to the business of the Company and its
subsidiaries, considered as one enterprise, and under which the Company or any
of its subsidiaries holds properties described in the Registration Statement,
the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, are in full force and effect, and
neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has any notice of any claim of
any sort asserted by anyone adverse to the rights of the Company or such
subsidiary under any of the leases or subleases mentioned above, or affecting or
questioning the rights of the Company or such subsidiary to the continued
possession of the leased or subleased premises under any such lease or sublease,
that, if the subject of an adverse decision, ruling or finding, would have a
Material Adverse Effect.
(xviii) Investment Company
Act. The Company is not, and upon the issuance and sale of the
Securities as herein contemplated and the application of the net proceeds
therefrom as described in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and
the Prospectus will not be, an “investment company” or an entity “controlled” by
an “investment company” as such terms are defined in the Investment Company Act
of 1940, as amended.
(xix) Environmental
Laws. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the
Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and except as would not, singly or in the
aggregate, result
8
in a
Material Adverse Effect, (A) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is
in violation of any federal, state, local or foreign statute, law, rule,
regulation, ordinance, code, policy or rule of common law or any judicial or
administrative interpretation thereof, including any judicial or administrative
order, consent, decree or judgment, relating to pollution or protection of human
health, the environment (including, without limitation, ambient air, surface
water, groundwater, land surface or subsurface strata) or wildlife, including,
without limitation, laws and regulations relating to the release or threatened
release of chemicals, pollutants, contaminants, wastes, toxic substances,
hazardous substances, petroleum or petroleum products (collectively, “Hazardous Materials”) or to
the manufacture, processing, distribution, use, treatment, storage, disposal,
transport or handling of Hazardous Materials (collectively, “Environmental Laws”), (B) the
Company and its subsidiaries have all permits, authorizations and approvals
required under any applicable Environmental Laws and are each in compliance with
their requirements, (C) there are no pending, or to the knowledge of the
Company, threatened administrative, regulatory or judicial actions, suits,
demands, demand letters, claims, liens, notices of noncompliance or violation,
investigation or proceedings relating to any Environmental Law against the
Company or any of its subsidiaries and (D) to the knowledge of the Company,
there are no events or circumstances that could reasonably be expected to form
the basis of an order for clean-up or remediation, or an action, suit or
proceeding by any private party or governmental body or agency, against or
affecting the Company or any of its subsidiaries relating to Hazardous Materials
or Environmental Laws.
(xx) Internal
Controls. (A) The Company has established and
maintains the following:
(I) a
system of “internal accounting controls” as contemplated in Section 13(b)(2)(B)
of the 1934 Act (the “Accounting
Controls”);
(II) “disclosure
controls and procedures” as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(e) under the
1934 Act (the “Disclosure
Controls”); and
(III) “internal
control over financial reporting” as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(f)
under the 1934 Act (the “Reporting Controls” and,
together with the Accounting Controls and the Disclosure Controls, the “Internal
Controls”);
(B) The
Internal Controls are evaluated by the Company periodically as appropriate and,
in any event, as required by law;
(C) Based
on the most recent evaluations of the Accounting Controls, the Accounting
Controls perform the functions for which they were established in all material
respects;
(D) As
of the most recent date as of which the effectiveness of the design and
operation of the Disclosure Controls were evaluated by the Company, the
Disclosure Controls were effective to provide reasonable assurance that material
information relating to the Company and its subsidiaries that is required to be
disclosed in reports filed with, or submitted to, the Commission under the 1934
Act (I) is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods
specified by the Commission rules and forms and (II) is accumulated and
communicated to management, including its chief executive officer and chief
financial officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required
disclosure;
9
(E) As
of December 31, 2007 (the most recent date as of which the Reporting Controls
were evaluated by the Company), the Reporting Controls were effective based on
criteria established in Internal Control -- Integrated Framework issued by the
Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Xxxxxxxx Commission;
and
(F) Since
the respective dates as of which the Internal Controls were last evaluated,
nothing has come to the attention of the Company that has caused the Company to
conclude that (I) the Accounting Controls do not perform the functions for which
they were established in all material respects or (II) the Disclosure Controls
or the Reporting Controls are not effective (within the meaning of the
evaluation standards identified above).
(xxi) Compliance with Sarbanes
Oxley. The Company is in compliance in all material respects
with the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act of 2002 and the rules and regulations of the
Commission and the New York Stock Exchange that have been adopted thereunder,
all to the extent that such Act and such rules and regulations are in effect and
applicable to the Company.
(b) Officer’s
Certificates. Any certificate signed by any officer of the
Company delivered to the Representatives or to counsel for the Underwriters in
connection with the offer and sale of the Securities shall be deemed a
representation and warranty by the Company to each Underwriter as to the matters
covered thereby.
SECTION
2. Sale and Delivery to
Underwriters; Closing; Covenants of the Underwriters.
(a) Initial
Securities. On the basis of the representations and warranties
herein contained and subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the
Company agrees to sell to each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, and each
Underwriter, severally and not jointly, agrees to purchase from the Company, at
the price per share of $15.88125, the number of Initial Securities set forth in
Schedule A opposite the name of such Underwriter, plus any additional number of
Initial Securities which such Underwriter may become obligated to purchase
pursuant to the provisions of Section 10 hereof, subject to such adjustments as
the Representatives in their discretion shall make to eliminate any sales or
purchases of fractional shares.
(b) Option
Securities. In addition, on the basis of the representations
and warranties herein contained and subject to the terms and conditions herein
set forth, the Company hereby grants an option to the Underwriters, severally
and not jointly, to purchase up to 2,100,000 additional shares of Common Stock
at the price per share set forth in subsection (a) of this Section; provided,
however, that the purchase price per share for any Option Securities shall be
reduced by an amount per share equal to any dividends or distributions declared
by the Company and payable on the Initial Securities but not payable on the
Option Securities. The option hereby granted will expire 30 days
after the date hereof and may be exercised in whole or in part from time to time
only for the purpose of covering over allotments which may be made in connection
with the offering and distribution of the Initial Securities upon notice by the
Representatives to the Company setting forth the number of Option Securities as
to which the several Underwriters are then exercising the option and the time
and date of payment and delivery for such Option Securities. Any such
time and date of delivery (a “Date of Delivery”) shall be
determined by the Representatives, but shall not be later than seven full
business days after the exercise of said option, nor in any event prior to the
Closing Time, as hereinafter defined. If the option is exercised as
to all or any portion of the Option Securities, each of the Underwriters, acting
severally and not jointly, will purchase that proportion of the total number of
Option Securities then being purchased which the number of Initial Securities
set forth in Schedule A opposite the name of such Underwriter bears to the total
number of Initial Securities, plus any additional number of Option Securities
which such Underwriter may become obligated to purchase pursuant to the
provisions of Section 10 hereof, subject in each case to such
10
adjustments
as the Representatives in their discretion shall make to eliminate any sales or
purchases of fractional shares.
(c) Payment. Payment
of the purchase price for, and delivery of certificates for, the Initial
Securities shall be made at the offices of Xxxxxxxxx & Xxxxxxx LLP at 0000
Xxxxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx, XX, Xxxxxxxxxx, XX 00000, or at such other place as shall
be agreed upon by the Representatives and the Company, at 9:00 A.M.
(Eastern time) on the fourth business day after the date hereof (unless
postponed in accordance with the provisions of Section 10), or such other time
not later than ten business days after such date as shall be agreed upon by the
Representatives and the Company (such time and date of payment and delivery
being herein called “Closing
Time”).
In
addition, in the event that any or all of the Option Securities are to be
purchased by the Underwriters, payment of the purchase price for, and delivery
of certificates for, such Option Securities shall be made at the above-mentioned
offices, or at such other place as shall be agreed upon by the Representatives
and the Company, on each Date of Delivery as specified in the notice from the
Representatives to the Company.
Payment
shall be made to the Company by wire transfer of immediately available funds to
a bank account designated by the Company, against delivery to the
Representatives for the respective accounts of the Underwriters of certificates
for the Securities to be purchased by them. It is understood that
each Underwriter has authorized the Representatives, for its account, to accept
delivery of, receipt for, and make payment of the purchase price for, the
Initial Securities and the Option Securities, if any, which it has agreed to
purchase. Any or all of the Representatives, individually and not as
representatives of the Underwriters, may (but shall not be obligated to) make
payment of the purchase price for the Initial Securities or the Option
Securities, if any, to be purchased by any Underwriter whose funds have not been
received by the Closing Time or the relevant Date of Delivery, as the case may
be, but such payment shall not relieve such Underwriter from its obligations
hereunder.
(d) Denominations;
Registration. Certificates for the Initial Securities and the
Option Securities, if any, shall be in such denominations and registered in such
names as the Representatives may request in writing at least one full business
day before the Closing Time or the relevant Date of Delivery, as the case may
be. Subject to the provisions of subsection (e) below, the
certificates for the Initial Securities and the Option Securities, if any, will
be made available for examination and packaging by the Representatives in
Washington D.C. not later than 10:00 A.M. (Eastern time) on the business
day prior to the Closing Time or the relevant Date of Delivery, as the case may
be.
(e) Delivery of Global
Securities. In lieu of the delivery to the Underwriters of
certificates representing the Securities at the Closing Time and on each Date of
Delivery, as contemplated above, the Company, with the approval of the
Representatives, may deliver one or more global Securities to a custodian for
The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”), to be held by DTC
initially for the accounts of the several Underwriters.
(f) Notice of
Completion. Promptly after the completion of the distribution
of the Securities by the Underwriters, the Representatives shall deliver to the
Company a notice in writing confirming the completion of the distribution (the
“Notice of
Completion”).
(g) Use of Free Writing
Prospectuses. Each Underwriter, severally and not jointly,
represents and agrees that it has not made and, without the prior written
consent of the Company and the Representatives, will not make any offer relating
to the Securities that would constitute a “free writing prospectus” (as defined
in Rule 405 of the 1933 Act Regulations (“Rule 405”)) that the Company
would be required to file with the Commission under Rule 433.
11
SECTION
3. Covenants of the
Company.
(a) Preparation and Filing of the
Prospectus. The Company will prepare the Prospectus and, after
affording the Representatives the opportunity to comment thereon, file the
Prospectus with the Commission in accordance with Rule 424(b) not later than the
Commission’s close of business on the second business day following the
execution and delivery of this Agreement.
(b) Review of Amendments and
Supplements. The Company will not amend the Registration
Statement, or amend or supplement the Prospectus, prior to the delivery of the
Notice of Completion without providing notice to the Representatives at least 24
hours, or such shorter period as is reasonably required by the circumstances,
prior to the filing thereof with the Commission. Except in the case
of any such amendment or supplement to be made by the filing under the 1934 Act
of a document that will be incorporated by reference in the Registration
Statement or the Prospectus that would be made by the Company irrespective of
the offer and sale of the Securities, the Company will not effect such amendment
or supplement without the consent of the Representatives on behalf of the
Underwriters, such consent not to be unreasonably withheld or
delayed. Neither the consent of the Representatives, nor the delivery
of any such amendment or supplement by any Underwriter, shall constitute a
waiver of any of the conditions set forth in Section 5 hereof.
Prior to
the delivery of the Notice of Completion, the Company will notify the
Representatives immediately, and confirm such notice in writing, when any
post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement shall have been filed or
shall become effective and when any supplement to the Prospectus or any amended
Prospectus shall have been filed.
(c) Free Writing
Prospectuses. Other than any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus
listed on Schedule B, the Company has not made and, without the consent of the
Representatives on behalf of the Underwriters, will not make any offer relating
to the Securities that would constitute a “free writing prospectus” as defined
by Rule 405, including an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus.
(d) Notification of Commission Comments
and Orders, Etc. The Company will notify the Representatives
of (i) the receipt of any comments from the Commission with respect to the
Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing
Prospectus or the Prospectus, including any request by the Commission for any
amendment, supplement or additional information with respect thereto,
(ii) the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the
effectiveness of the Registration Statement or of any order preventing or
suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing
Prospectus or the Prospectus or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding
for such purpose. The Company will make every reasonable effort to
prevent the issuance of any stop order and, in the event of any stop order, to
obtain the lifting thereof as soon as possible.
(e) Delivery of Registration
Statements. The Company will deliver to each of the
Representatives and to counsel for the Underwriters, upon request and without
charge, one conformed copy of the Registration Statement as originally filed and
of each amendment thereto (including, in each case, all exhibits filed therewith
or incorporated by reference). Such copies of the Registration
Statement and amendments thereto so furnished to the Representatives will be
identical to the copies thereof filed electronically with the Commission
pursuant to XXXXX, except to the extent permitted by Regulation
S-T.
(f) Delivery of
Prospectuses. The Company has delivered to each Underwriter,
without charge, as many copies of any Preliminary Prospectus and any Issuer Free
Writing Prospectus as such Underwriter reasonably requested, and the Company
hereby consents to the use of such copies by the Underwriters for purposes of
the offer and sale of the Securities in a manner consistent with the 1933
Act
12
and the
1933 Act Regulations. The Company will furnish to each Underwriter,
without charge, during the period when the Prospectus (or, in lieu thereof, the
notice referred to in Rule 173(a) under the 0000 Xxx) is required to be
delivered under the 1933 Act, such number of copies of the Prospectus (and any
supplements thereto and amendments thereof) as such Underwriter may reasonably
request. Such copies of the Prospectus (and supplements thereto and
amendments thereof) so furnished to the Underwriters will be identical to the
copies thereof filed electronically with the Commission pursuant to XXXXX
(except that the registration fee table will be deleted from the cover thereof),
except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.
(g) Continued Compliance with Securities
Laws. (i) Until the Notice of Completion has been
delivered, the Company will file all reports and other documents that it is
required to file with the Commission pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or
15(d) of the 1934 Act within the time periods required by the 1934 Act and the
1934 Act Regulations and will otherwise comply with the 1933 Act, the 1933 Act
Regulations, the 1934 Act and the 1934 Act Regulations so as to permit the
completion of the distribution of the Securities as contemplated in this
Agreement and the Prospectus.
(ii) The
Company will notify the Representatives promptly if, prior to the delivery of
the Notice of Completion, (A) any filing is made by the Company of information
relating to the offering of the Securities with any securities exchange or any
other regulatory body in the United States or any other jurisdiction or (B) any
material change occurs in or affecting the business, condition (financial or
otherwise) or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries
considered as one enterprise that (I) is not disclosed in the Registration
Statement or the Prospectus or (II) makes any statement in the Registration
Statement or the Prospectus false or misleading.
(iii) Upon
any notification pursuant to clause (ii)(B) above, or if prior to delivery of
the Notice of Completion any event shall occur as a result of which it is
necessary, in the reasonable judgment of the Company or of the Representatives,
(A) to amend the Registration Statement in order that it shall not, as of the
Effective Time, include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state
a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading
or otherwise to comply with the requirements of the 1933 Act or the 1933 Act
Regulations or (B) to amend the Prospectus in order that it shall not, as of the
time it (or, in lieu thereof, the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) under the
0000 Xxx) is delivered to purchasers, contain any untrue statement of material
fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the
statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing at such time, not
misleading or otherwise to comply with the requirements of the 1933 Act or the
1933 Act Regulations, the Company will promptly prepare and file with the
Commission, subject to Section 3(b), such amendment or supplement as may be
necessary to correct such statement or omission or to make the Registration
Statement or the Prospectus comply with such requirements, and the Company will
furnish to each Underwriter such number of copies of such amendment or
supplement as such Underwriter may reasonably request.
(h) Blue Sky
Qualifications. The Company will use its best efforts, in
cooperation with the Underwriters, to take such action, if any, as may be
required to qualify the Securities for offering and sale under the applicable
securities laws of such states and other jurisdictions as the Representatives
may designate and to maintain such qualifications in effect as long as required
for the distribution of the Securities; provided, however, that the Company
shall not be obligated to file any general consent to service of process or to
qualify as a foreign corporation or as a dealer in securities in any
jurisdiction in which it is not so qualified or to subject itself to taxation in
respect of doing business in any jurisdiction in which it is not otherwise so
subject. The Company will notify the Representatives of the
suspension of the qualification of the Securities for offering or sale in any
jurisdiction, or of the initiation or threatening of any proceedings for any of
such purposes. The Company will make every reasonable effort to
prevent
13
any such
suspension and, in the event of any such suspension, to obtain the lifting
thereof as soon as possible.
(i) Rule 158. The
Company will timely file such reports pursuant to the 1934 Act as are necessary
in order to make generally available to its securityholders as soon as
practicable an earnings statement for the purposes of, and to provide the
benefits contemplated by, the last paragraph of Section 11(a) of the 1933 Act
and Rule 158 thereunder.
(j) Filing Fees. The
Company agrees to pay the required Commission filing fees relating to the
Securities within the time required by Rule 456(b)(1) of the 1933 Act
Regulations and otherwise in accordance with Rules 456(b) and 457(r) of the 1933
Act Regulations.
(k) Use of
Proceeds. The Company will use the net proceeds received by it
from the sale of the Securities in the manner specified in the Prospectus under
“Use of Proceeds”.
(l)
Listing. The
Company will use its commercially reasonable efforts to effect the listing of
the Securities on the New York Stock Exchange.
(m) Restriction on Sale of
Securities. During a period of 90 days from the date of the
Prospectus, the Company will not, without the prior written consent of the
Representatives, (i) directly or indirectly, offer, pledge, sell, contract to
sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract
to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase or otherwise transfer or
dispose of any shares of Common Stock (or any securities convertible into or
exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock), or file any registration
statement under the 1933 Act with respect to any of the foregoing, (ii) enter
into any swap or any other agreement or any transaction that transfers, in whole
or in part, directly or indirectly, the economic consequence of ownership of the
Common Stock, whether any such swap or transaction described in clause (i) or
(ii) above is to be settled by delivery of Common Stock or such other
securities, in cash or otherwise or (iii) publicly disclose the intention to
make any such offer, sale, pledge, disposition or filing. The
foregoing sentence shall not apply to (A) the Securities to be sold hereunder,
(B) any shares of Common Stock issued by the Company upon the exercise of an
option or warrant or the conversion of a security outstanding on the date
hereof, (C) any shares of Common Stock issued or options to purchase Common
Stock granted pursuant to employee benefit plans of the Company or any of its
subsidiaries, (D) any shares of Common Stock issued pursuant to any non-employee
director stock plan or stockholder dividend reinvestment and stock purchase
plan, (E) shares of Common Stock issued in connection with any business
combination entered into by the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or (F) the
filing of any registration statement under the 1933 Act with respect to any
shares of Common Stock described in clauses (A) through (E).
SECTION
4. Payment of
Expenses.
(a) Expenses Payable by the
Company. The Company will pay all expenses incident to the
performance of its obligations under this Agreement, including (i) the
preparation, printing and filing of the Registration Statement (including
financial statements and exhibits) as originally filed and of each amendment
thereto, (ii) the preparation, printing and delivery to the Underwriters of
this Agreement, any agreement among Underwriters and such other documents as may
be required in connection with the offering, purchase, sale, issuance or
delivery of the Securities, (iii) the preparation, issuance and delivery
of the certificate or certificates for the Securities to the Underwriters,
including any stock or other transfer taxes and any stamp or other duties
payable upon the sale, issuance or delivery of the Securities to the
Underwriters, (iv) the fees and disbursements of the Company’s counsel,
accountants and other advisors, (v) the qualification of the Securities
under securities laws in accordance with the provisions of Section 3(h)
hereof, including filing fees and the reasonable fees (not to exceed $5,000)
and
14
disbursements
of counsel for the Underwriters in connection therewith and in connection with
the preparation of any Blue Sky survey and any supplement thereto, (vi) the
printing and delivery to the Underwriters of copies of each Preliminary
Prospectus, Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and of the Prospectus and any
amendments or supplements thereto, (vii) the preparation, printing and
delivery to the Underwriters of copies of any Blue Sky survey and any supplement
thereto, (viii) the fees and expenses of any transfer agent or registrar for the
Securities, and (ix) the fees and expenses incurred in connection with the
listing of the Securities on the New York Stock Exchange.
(b) Expenses Payable by the
Underwriters. Except as provided in subsection (a)(v) above
and subsection (c) below, the Underwriters will pay all of their out-of-pocket
expenses incurred in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby,
including the fees and disbursements of counsel for the
Underwriters.
(c) Expenses Upon
Termination. If this Agreement is terminated by the
Underwriters in accordance with the provisions of Section 5 or
Section 9(a)(i) hereof, the Company shall reimburse the Underwriters for
all of their out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with the transactions
contemplated hereby, including the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel
for the Underwriters.
SECTION
5. Conditions of Underwriters’
Obligations; Termination of Agreement.
(a) Conditions. The
obligations of the several Underwriters hereunder are subject to the accuracy,
as of the date of this Agreement, as of the Applicable Time and as of the
Closing Time, of the representations and warranties of the Company contained in
Section 1 hereof and in all certificates of officers of the Company delivered
pursuant to the provisions hereof, to the performance by the Company of its
covenants and other obligations hereunder to be performed at or prior to the
Closing Time, and to the following further conditions:
(i) No Stop Order; Commission
Filings. At the Closing Time no stop order suspending the
effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall have been issued under the
1933 Act or proceedings therefor initiated or threatened by the Commission and
the Company shall not have received from the Commission any notice pursuant to
Rule 401(g)(2) of the 1933 Act Regulations objecting to use of the automatic
shelf registration statement form, and any request on the part of the Commission
for additional information shall have been complied with to the reasonable
satisfaction of counsel to the Underwriters. The Prospectus shall
have been filed with the Commission in accordance with Rule
424(b). Any material required to be filed by the Company pursuant to
Rule 433(d) shall have been filed with the Commission in accordance with the
applicable time periods prescribed for such filings under Rule 433.
(ii) Opinions of Counsel for
Company. At the Closing Time, the Representatives shall have
received the opinions, dated the date of the Closing Time, of Xxxx X. Xxxx,
Esq., Senior Vice President and General Counsel of the Company, substantially in
the form of Exhibit A hereto, and Xxxxxxxxx & Xxxxxxx LLP, counsel for the
Company, substantially in the form of Exhibits B hereto, together with signed or
reproduced copies thereof for each of the other Underwriters.
(iii) Opinion of Counsel for the
Underwriters. At the Closing Time, the Representatives shall
have received the opinion, dated the date of the Closing Time, of Xxxxx &
XxXxxxx LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, as to such matters as the
Underwriters shall reasonably request, together with signed or reproduced copies
thereof for each of the other Underwriters. In giving such opinion
such counsel may rely, as to all matters governed by the laws of jurisdictions
other than the law of the State of New York, the federal law of the
United
15
States
and the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, upon the opinions of
counsel to the Company. Such counsel may also state that, insofar as
such opinion involves factual matters, they have relied, to the extent they deem
proper, upon certificates of officers of the Company and its subsidiaries and
certificates of public officials.
(iv) No Material Adverse Change;
Officers’ Certificate. At the Closing Time, (A) there shall
not have been (I) since the date of the latest audited balance sheet included in
the Disclosure Package and except as disclosed therein or (II) since the
Applicable Time, any Material Adverse Change or any development reasonably
likely to result in a Material Adverse Change and (B) the Representatives shall
have received a certificate of the President or a Vice President of the Company
and of the chief financial or chief accounting officer of the Company, dated the
date of the Closing Time, to the effect that (I) there has been no such
Material Adverse Change or any such development, (II) the representations
and warranties in Section 1(a) hereof are true and correct with the same
force and effect as though expressly made at and as of the Closing Time,
(III) the Company has complied with all agreements and satisfied all
conditions on its part required by this Agreement to be performed or satisfied
at or prior to the Closing Time, and (IV) no stop order suspending the
effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued and no proceedings
for that purpose have been instituted or are pending or, to the knowledge of the
signers, contemplated by the Commission.
(v) Accountant’s Comfort
Letter. On the date of this Agreement, the Representatives
shall have received from PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP a letter dated such date, in
form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives, together with
signed or reproduced copies of such letter for each of the other Underwriters,
containing statements and information of the type customarily included in
accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters with respect to the financial
statements of, and certain financial information relating to, the Company
contained in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus.
(vi) Bring-down Comfort
Letter. At the Closing Time, the Representatives shall have
received from PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP a letter, dated the date of the Closing
Time, together with signed or reproduced copies of such letter for each of the
other Underwriters, to the effect that such firm reaffirms the statements made
in the letter furnished pursuant to clause (v) above, except that the specified
date referred to therein shall be a date not more than three business days prior
to the Closing Time.
(vii) Approval of
Listing. At the Closing Time, the Securities shall have been
approved for listing on the New York Stock Exchange, subject only to official
notice of issuance.
(viii) Lock-up
Agreements. At the Closing Time, the Representatives shall
have received an agreement substantially in the form of Exhibit C hereto signed
by the persons listed on Schedule D hereto.
(ix) Conditions to Purchase of Option
Securities. In the event that the Underwriters exercise the
option set forth in Section 2(b) hereof to purchase all or any portion of the
Option Securities, the representations and warranties of the Company contained
herein and the statements in any certificates furnished by the Company or any of
its subsidiaries delivered pursuant to the provisions hereunder shall be true
and correct as of each Date of Delivery, the conditions set forth in clauses (i)
and (iv)(A) above shall be and remain satisfied on and as of such Date of
Delivery and, at such Date of Delivery, the Representatives shall have
received:
16
(A) Officers’
Certificate. A certificate, dated such Date of Delivery, of
the President or a Vice President of the Company and of the chief financial or
chief accounting officer of the Company confirming that the certificate
delivered at the Closing Time pursuant to clause (iv) above remains true and
correct as of such Date of Delivery.
(B) Opinions of Counsel for
Company. The opinions of Xxxx X. Xxxx, Esq. and Xxxxxxxxx
& Xxxxxxx LLP in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to counsel for
the Underwriters, dated such Date of Delivery, relating to the Option Securities
to be purchased on such Date of Delivery and otherwise to the same effect as the
opinions required by clause (ii) above.
(C) Opinion of Counsel for
Underwriters. The opinion of Xxxxx & XxXxxxx LLP, counsel
for the Underwriters, dated such Date of Delivery, relating to the Option
Securities to be purchased on such Date of Delivery and otherwise to the same
effect as the opinion required by clause (iii) above.
(D) Bring-down Comfort
Letter. A letter from PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, in form and
substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives and dated such Date of
Delivery, substantially in the same form and substance as the letter furnished
to the Representatives pursuant to clause (v) above, except that the “specified
date” referred to therein shall be a date not more than three business days
prior to such Date of Delivery.
(x) Additional
Documents. At the Closing Time and at each Date of Delivery,
counsel for the Underwriters shall have been furnished with such additional
documents and opinions as they may reasonably require for the purpose of
enabling them to pass upon the issuance and sale of the Securities as herein
contemplated, or in order to evidence the accuracy of any of the representations
or warranties, or the fulfillment of any of the conditions, herein contained;
and all proceedings taken by the Company in connection with the issuance and
sale of the Securities as herein contemplated shall be reasonably satisfactory
in form and substance to the Representatives and counsel for the
Underwriters.
(b) Termination of
Agreement. If any condition specified in this Section shall
not have been fulfilled when and as required to be fulfilled, this Agreement,
or, in the case of any condition to the purchase of Option Securities on any
Date of Delivery, the obligations of the several Underwriters to purchase the
relevant Option Securities, may be terminated by the Representatives by notice
to the Company at any time at or prior to the Closing Time or such Date of
Delivery, as the case may be, and such termination shall be without liability of
any party to any other party, except as provided in Section 4 and except that
Sections 1, 6, 7 and 8 shall survive any such termination and remain in full
force and effect.
SECTION 6. Indemnification.
(a) Indemnification of
Underwriters. The Company agrees to indemnify and hold
harmless each Underwriter, its directors and officers and each person, if any,
who controls any Underwriter, within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933
Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act as follows:
(i) against
any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever, as incurred,
(A) arising out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a
material fact contained in the Registration Statement (or any amendment
thereto), or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact
required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not
misleading or (B) arising out of any untrue statement or alleged
untrue
17
statement
of a material fact contained in any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free
Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) or
the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact necessary in order
to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which
they were made, not misleading;
(ii) against
any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever, as incurred,
to the extent of the aggregate amount paid in settlement of any litigation, or
any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or
threatened, or of any claim whatsoever based upon any untrue statement or
omission, or any alleged untrue statement or omission in either case of the
nature described in clause (i) above; provided that any such
settlement is effected with the written consent of the Company; and
(iii) against
any and all expense whatsoever, as incurred (including the fees and
disbursements of counsel chosen by the Representatives), reasonably incurred in
investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, or any
investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or
threatened, or any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue statement or
omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission, to the extent that
any such expense is not paid under (i) or (ii) above;
provided, however, that this indemnity
agreement shall not apply to any loss, liability, claim, damage or expense to
the extent arising out of any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue
statement or omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with written
information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through the
Representatives expressly for use in the Registration Statement (or any
amendment thereto), any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing
Prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement
thereto).
(b) Indemnification of Company,
Directors and Officers. Each Underwriter severally agrees to
indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its directors and officers, and each
person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the
1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act against any and all loss, liability,
claim, damage and expense described in subsection (a) of this Section, as
incurred, but only with respect to untrue statements or omissions, or alleged
untrue statements or omissions, made in the Registration Statement (or any
amendment thereto) or any Preliminary Prospectus, Issuer Free Writing Prospectus
or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) in reliance upon and
in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by such
Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use therein.
(c) Actions against Parties;
Notification. Each indemnified party shall give notice as
promptly as reasonably practicable to each indemnifying party of any action
commenced against it in respect of which indemnity may be sought hereunder, but
failure to so notify an indemnifying party shall not relieve such indemnifying
party from any liability hereunder to the extent it is not materially prejudiced
as a result thereof and in any event shall not relieve it from any liability
which it may have otherwise than on account of this indemnity
agreement. In the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section
6(a), counsel to the indemnified parties shall be selected by the
Representatives, and, in the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section
6(b), counsel to the indemnified parties shall be selected by the
Company. An indemnifying party may participate at its own expense in
the defense of any such action; provided, however, that counsel to the
indemnifying party shall not (except with the consent of the indemnified party)
also be counsel to the indemnified party. In no event shall the
indemnifying parties be liable for fees and expenses of more than one counsel
(in addition to any local counsel) separate from their own counsel for all
indemnified parties in connection with any one action or separate but similar or
related actions in the same jurisdiction arising out of the same general
allegations or circumstances. No indemnifying party shall, without
the prior written consent of the indemnified parties, settle or
18
compromise
or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to any litigation, or any
investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or
threatened, or any claim whatsoever in respect of which indemnification could be
sought under this Section 6 or contribution could be sought under Section 7
hereof (whether or not the indemnified parties are actual or potential parties
thereto), unless such settlement, compromise or consent (i) includes an
unconditional release of each indemnified party from all liability arising out
of such litigation, investigation, proceeding or claim and (ii) does not include
a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act by
or on behalf of any indemnified party.
SECTION
7. Contribution.
If the
indemnification provided for in Section 6 hereof is for any reason
unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party in respect
of any losses, liabilities, claims, damages or expenses referred to therein,
then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the aggregate amount of such
losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses incurred by such indemnified
party, (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits
received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other hand
from the offering of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement or (ii) if the
allocation provided by clause (i) is not permitted by applicable law, in such
proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred
to in clause (i) above but also the relative fault of the Company on the one
hand and of the Underwriters on the other hand in connection with the statements
or omissions which resulted in such losses, liabilities, claims, damages or
expenses, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations.
The
relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters
on the other hand in connection with the offering of the Securities pursuant to
this Agreement shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the
total net proceeds from the offering of the Securities pursuant to this
Agreement (before deducting expenses) received by the Company and the total
underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters, in each
case as set forth on the cover of the Prospectus bear to the aggregate initial
public offering price of the Securities as set forth on such cover.
The
relative fault of the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other
hand shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether any such
untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged
omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company
or by any Underwriters and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to
information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or
omission.
The
Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if
contribution pursuant to this Section 7 were determined by pro rata allocation
(even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any
other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable
considerations referred to above in this Section 7. The aggregate
amount of losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses incurred by an
indemnified party and referred to above in this Section 7 shall be deemed to
include any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified
party in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, or any
investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or
threatened, or any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue or alleged untrue
statement or omission or alleged omission.
Notwithstanding
the provisions of this Section 7, no Underwriter shall be required to contribute
any amount in excess of the amount by which the total price at which the
Securities underwritten by it and distributed to the public were offered to the
public exceeds the amount of any damages which such Underwriter has otherwise
been required to pay by reason of any such untrue or alleged untrue statement or
omission or alleged omission.
19
No person
guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of
the 0000 Xxx) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not
guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.
For
purposes of this Section 7, each person, if any, who controls an Underwriter
within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act
shall have the same rights to contribution as such Underwriter, and each
director of the Company, each officer of the Company, and each person, if any,
who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or
Section 20 of the 1934 Act shall have the same rights to contribution as the
Company. The Underwriters’ respective obligations to contribute
pursuant to this Section 7 are several (and not joint) in proportion to the
number of Initial Securities set forth opposite their respective names in
Schedule A hereto.
SECTION
8. Representations, Warranties
and Agreements to Survive.
All of
the respective representations, warranties and agreements of the Company and the
Underwriters contained in this Agreement, or in certificates of officers of the
Company delivered pursuant to this Agreement, shall remain operative and in full
force and effect, regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of any
Underwriter or controlling person of any Underwriter, or by or on behalf of the
Company, or any director, officer or controlling person of the Company, and
shall survive delivery of and payment for the Securities.
SECTION
9. Termination of
Agreement.
(a) Termination;
General. The Representatives may terminate this Agreement, by
notice to the Company, at any time at or prior to the Closing Time, or at any
time after the Closing Time and at or prior to any Date of Delivery, (i) if
there has been (A) since the date of the latest audited balance sheet included
in the Disclosure Package and except as disclosed therein or (B) since the
Applicable Time, any Material Adverse Change, or (ii) if there has occurred
any material adverse change in the financial markets in the United States or in
the international financial markets, any outbreak of hostilities or escalation
thereof or other calamity or crisis or any change or development involving a
prospective change in national or international political, financial or economic
conditions, in each case the effect of which is such as to make it, in the
judgment of the Representatives, impracticable or inadvisable to offer, sell or
deliver the Securities or to enforce contracts for the sale of the Securities,
or (iii) if trading in any securities of the Company has been suspended or
materially limited by the Commission or the New York Stock Exchange, or if
trading generally on the New York Stock Exchange or the NYSE Alternext U.S. or
in the NASDAQ Global Market or the NASDAQ Global Select Market has been
suspended or materially limited, or minimum or maximum prices for trading have
been fixed, or maximum ranges for prices have been required, by either of such
exchanges or Nasdaq Stock Market, Inc. with respect to such markets or by order
of the Commission or any other governmental authority, or (iv) a material
disruption has occurred in commercial banking or securities settlement or
clearance services in the United States, or (v) if a banking moratorium has been
declared by either Federal or New York authorities.
(b) Liabilities. If
this Agreement is terminated pursuant to this Section, such termination shall be
without liability of any party to any other party except as provided in Section
4 hereof; and provided, further, that Sections 1, 6, 7 and 8 shall survive such
termination and remain in full force and effect.
SECTION
10. Default by One or More of
the Underwriters.
If one or
more of the Underwriters shall fail at Closing Time or at any Date of Delivery
to purchase the Securities which it or they are then obligated to purchase under
this Agreement (the
20
“Defaulted Securities”), the
non-defaulting Underwriters shall have the right, within 24 hours thereafter, to
make arrangements for one or more of the non-defaulting Underwriters, or any
other underwriters approved by the Company, to purchase all, but not less than
all, of the Defaulted Securities in such amounts as may be agreed upon and upon
the terms herein set forth. If, however, the non-defaulting
Underwriters shall not have completed such arrangements within such 24 hour
period, then:
(i) if
the number of Defaulted Securities does not exceed 10% of the aggregate number
of Securities to be purchased hereunder, each of the non-defaulting Underwriters
shall be obligated, severally and not jointly, to purchase the full amount
thereof in the proportions that their respective underwriting obligations
hereunder bear to the underwriting obligations of all non defaulting
Underwriters, or
(ii) if
the number of Defaulted Securities exceeds 10% of the aggregate number of
Securities to be purchased hereunder, this Agreement shall terminate without
liability on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter or the Company, except
as provided in Section 4 and except that Sections 1, 6, 7 and 8 shall survive
any such termination and remain in full force and effect with respect to any
non-defaulting Underwriter.
No action
taken pursuant to this Section shall relieve any defaulting Underwriter from
liability in respect of its default.
In the
event of any such default which does not result in a termination of this
Agreement, either the Representatives or the Company shall have the right to
postpone the Closing Time or the relevant Date of Delivery for a period not
exceeding seven days (but, in the case of a Date of Delivery, not beyond the
30th
day after the date of this Agreement) in order to effect any required changes in
the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or in any other documents or
arrangements. As used in this Agreement, the term “Underwriter”
includes any person substituted for a defaulting Underwriter under this Section
10.
SECTION
11. Notices.
All
notices, requests and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and
shall be deemed to have been duly given if received by mail or transmitted by
any standard form of telecommunication. Notices to the Underwriters
shall be directed to the Representatives at Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx & Co.
Incorporated, 0000 Xxxxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000, attention of ECMS Desk
(facsimile 212-507-4189), Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, Eleven Xxxxxxx
Xxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000, attention of IBD Legal (facsimile (000)
000-0000) and X.X. Xxxxxx Securities Inc., 000 Xxxx Xxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx
00000, attention of Equity Syndicate Desk and notices to the Company shall be
directed to it at 000 Xxxxx Xxxxxx, X.X., Xxxxxxxxxx, X.X. 00000, attention of
Treasurer.
SECTION
12. Parties in
Interest.
This
Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the Underwriters and
the Company and their respective successors. Nothing expressed in
this Agreement is intended or shall be construed to give any person, firm or
corporation, other than the Underwriters and the Company and their respective
successors and the controlling persons and officers and directors referred to in
Sections 6 and 7 and their heirs and legal representatives, any legal or
equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of this Agreement or any
provision herein contained. This Agreement and all conditions and
provisions hereof are intended to be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the
Underwriters and the Company and their respective successors, and said
controlling persons and officers and directors and their heirs and legal
representatives, and for the benefit of no other person, firm or
corporation. No purchaser of Securities from the Underwriters shall
be deemed to be a successor by reason merely of such purchase.
21
SECTION 13. No Advisory or Fiduciary
Relationship.
The
Company acknowledges and agrees that (a) the purchase and sale of the Securities
pursuant to this Agreement, including the determination of the public offering
price of the Securities and any related discounts and commissions, is an
arm’s-length commercial transaction between the Company, on the one hand, and
the Underwriters, on the other hand, (b) in connection with the offering
contemplated hereby and the process leading to such transaction each Underwriter
is and has been acting solely as a principal and is not the agent or fiduciary
of the Company, or its stockholders, creditors, employees or any other party,
(c) no Underwriter has assumed or will assume an advisory or fiduciary
responsibility in favor of the Company with respect to the offering contemplated
hereby or the process leading thereto (irrespective of whether such Underwriter
has advised or is currently advising the Company on other matters) and no
Underwriter has any obligation to the Company with respect to the offering
contemplated hereby except the obligations expressly set forth in this
Agreement, (d) the Underwriters and their respective affiliates may be engaged
in a broad range of transactions that involve interests that differ from those
of the Company and (e) no Underwriter has provided any legal, accounting,
regulatory or tax advice with respect to the offering contemplated hereby, and
the Company has consulted its own legal, accounting, regulatory and tax advisors
to the extent it deemed appropriate.
SECTION
14. Governing Law and
Time.
This agreement shall be governed by
and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New
York. Specified times of day refer to New York City
time.
SECTION
15. Counterparts.
This
Agreement may be executed in counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be
an original, but all such counterparts shall together constitute one and the
same agreement.
SECTION
16. Entire
Agreement.
This
Agreement supersedes all prior agreements and understandings (whether written or
oral) between the Company and the Underwriters with respect to the subject
matter of this Agreement.
SECTION
17. Effect of
Headings.
The
Article and Section headings herein and the Table of Contents are for
convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof.
22
If the
foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, please sign
and return to the Company a counterpart hereof, whereupon this instrument, along
with all counterparts, will become a binding agreement between the Underwriters
and the Company in accordance with its terms.
Very
truly yours,
|
|||
Pepco
Holdings, Inc.
By: /s/ P. H.
XXXXX
|
|||
Name: P.
H. Xxxxx
Title: Senior
Vice President and Chief
Financial
Officer
|
|||
Confirmed
And Accepted,
as
of the date first above written:
Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxx & Co. Incorporated
By: /s/ XXXXXXX X.
XXXX
|
|||
Name: Xxxxxxx
X. Xxxx
Title: Managing
Director
|
|||
Credit
Suisse Securities (USA) LLC
By:: /s/ XXXX
XXXXX
|
|||
Name: Xxxx
Xxxxx
Title: Director
|
|||
X.X.
Xxxxxx Securities Inc.
By:: /s/ XXX
XXXXXXXX
|
|||
Name: Xxx
Xxxxxxxx
Title: Managing
Director
|
For
themselves and as Representatives of the other Underwriters named in Schedule A
hereto.
23
SCHEDULE A
Name of Underwriter
|
Number
of Initial
Securities
|
Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxx & Co. Incorporated
|
4,060,000
|
Credit
Suisse Securities (USA) LLC
|
3,360,000
|
X.X.
Xxxxxx Securities Inc.
|
3,360,000
|
Banc
of America Securities LLC
|
1,610,000
|
Wachovia
Capital Markets, LLC
|
1,610,000
|
Total
|
14,000,000
|
Sch
A-1
SCHEDULE B
Issuer Free Writing
Prospectuses
General
Use Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses (intended for general
distribution)
1. Press
Release dated November 5, 2008
Limited
Use Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses (not intended for general
distribution)
1. Electronic
Roadshow, dated November 2008
Sch
B-1
SCHEDULE C
List of
Designated Subsidiaries
Atlantic
City Electric Company
Delmarva
Power & Light Company
Potomac
Electric Power Company
Conectiv
Conectiv
Delmarva Generation, Inc.
Conectiv
Energy Holding Company
Conectiv
Energy Supply Inc.
Pepco
Energy Services, Inc.
Potomac
Capital Investment Corporation
Sch
C-1
SCHEDULE
D
List of
Persons to Execute Lock-Up Agreements
Xxxx X.
Xxxxx
Xxxxxxx
X. Xxxxxxxx
Xxxxxx X.
Xxxxx
Xxxxxxx
X. Xxxxxxxxx
Xxxxxx X.
Xxxxxx
Sch
D-1
Exhibit
A
Form
of Opinion of Xxxx X. Xxxx, Esq.
[LETTERHEAD
OF PHI]
November
12, 2008
Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxx & Co. Incorporated
0000
Xxxxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx,
Xxx Xxxx 00000
Credit
Suisse Securities (USA) LLC
Eleven
Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx,
Xxx Xxxx 00000
X.X.
Xxxxxx Securities Inc.
000 Xxxx
Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx,
Xxx Xxxx 00000
As
Representatives of the Several Underwriters
Ladies
and Gentlemen:
I am
Senior Vice President and General Counsel of Pepco Holdings, Inc., a Delaware
corporation (the “Company”), and have acted as counsel to the Company in
connection with the issuance and sale by the Company of 14,000,000 shares (the
“Securities”) of its common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “Common
Stock”), pursuant to the Purchase Agreement, dated November 5, 2008 (the
“Purchase Agreement”), among the Company and the Underwriters (as defined in the
Purchase Agreement). This opinion is being delivered to you in
accordance with Section 5(a)(ii) of the Purchase Agreement. Unless
otherwise defined herein, capitalized terms used herein have the respective
meanings provided in the Purchase Agreement.
In
connection with rendering the opinions set forth herein, I, or my
representatives, have reviewed:
(i) the
Purchase Agreement;
(ii) the
Registration Statement on Form S-3, Registration No. 333-145691, filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) on August 24, 2007 (the
“Registration Statement”), registering, inter alia, the Securities
for sale under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933
Act”);
(iii) the
preliminary prospectus, consisting of the prospectus, dated August 24, 2007 (the
“Base Prospectus”), as supplemented by a preliminary prospectus supplement,
dated November 5, 2008, with respect to the offer and sale of the Securities,
filed with the Commission on November 5, 2008, pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the
1933 Act (the “Pricing Prospectus”);
A-1
(iv) the
issuer free writing prospectus, dated November 5, 2008, filed with the
Commission on November 5, 2008, pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the 1933 Act (the
“FWP”);
(v) the
information with respect to the price per share to be paid by the Underwriters
for the Initial Securities and the Option Securities pursuant to the Purchase
Agreement (such information, together with the FWP and the Pricing Prospectus,
the “Disclosure Package”);
(vi) the
final prospectus, consisting of the Base Prospectus, as supplemented by a final
prospectus supplement, dated November 5, 2008, with respect to the offer and
sale of the Securities, filed with the Commission on November 6, 2008, pursuant
to Rule 424(b) under the 1933 Act (the “Prospectus”); and
(vii) a
copy of Certificate of Stock No. [ ] representing the
Securities.
I, or my
representatives, also have examined or caused to be examined originals, or
copies that have been certified or otherwise identified to my or their
satisfaction as being true copies, of such other instruments, certificates and
other documents or records as I or they have deemed necessary or appropriate to
enable me to render the opinions set forth below. In my or my
representatives’ review and examination, I or they have assumed the genuineness
of all signatures, the authenticity of all documents submitted to me or them as
originals, and the conformity to original documents of all documents submitted
to me or them as copies.
Based
upon the foregoing, and subject to the reservations and exceptions set forth
herein, I am of the opinion that:
1. The
Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in
good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware.
2. The
Company is duly qualified as a foreign corporation to transact business and is
in good standing in each jurisdiction in which such qualification is required,
whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of
business, except where the failure so to qualify or to be in good standing would
not result in a Material Adverse Effect.
3. Each
Designated Subsidiary has been duly incorporated and is an existing corporation
in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation, with
corporate power and authority to own its properties and conduct its business as
described in the Prospectus; and each Designated Subsidiary is duly qualified to
do business as a foreign corporation in good standing in all other jurisdictions
in which its ownership or lease of property or the conduct of its business
requires such qualification, except where the failure so to qualify or to be in
good standing would not result in a Material Adverse Effect; all of the issued
and outstanding capital stock of each Designated Subsidiary has been duly
authorized and validly issued and is fully paid and nonassessable; the capital
stock of each Designated Subsidiary owned by the Company, directly or through
subsidiaries, is owned free from any liens or encumbrances; and, to the best of
my knowledge, the capital stock of each other subsidiary owned by the Company,
directly or through subsidiaries, is owned free from any liens or
encumbrances.
A-2
4. All
of the issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock have been duly authorized
and validly issued and are fully paid and nonassessable; and none of the
outstanding shares of Common Stock was issued in violation of the preemptive or
other similar rights of any securityholder of the Company.
5. The
Company has corporate power and authority to own or lease and operate its
properties and to conduct its business as described in the Prospectus and to
enter into and perform its obligations under the Purchase
Agreement.
6. The
Company’s entry into and performance of its obligations under the Purchase
Agreement and its issuance and sale of the Securities has been approved by
requisite corporate action.
7. The
execution, delivery and performance of the Purchase Agreement by the Company,
and the issuance and sale of the Securities by the Company, will not result in a
breach or violation of any of the terms and provisions of, or constitute a
default or Repayment Event under, or result in the creation or imposition of any
lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company under,
(i) any statute, any rule, regulation or order of any governmental agency or
body or any court having jurisdiction over the Company or any subsidiary of the
Company or any of their properties that in my experience customarily applies to
transactions of the type contemplated by the Purchase Agreement and the
Securities, (ii) any agreement or instrument to which the Company or any such
subsidiary is a party or by which the Company or any such subsidiary is bound or
to which any of the properties of the Company or any such subsidiary is subject,
or (iii) the certificate of incorporation or bylaws of the Company or any such
subsidiary, except, in the cases of clauses (i) and (ii) above, for any such
breach, violation, default, Repayment Event or lien, charge or encumbrance upon
any property or assets of the Company, that would not result in a Material
Adverse Effect.
8. No
consent, approval, authorization or order of, or filing with, any governmental
agency or body or any court is required for the consummation of the transactions
contemplated by the Purchase Agreement in connection with the offering,
issuance, sale or delivery of the Securities by the Company, except such as have
already been obtained or such as may be required under state securities laws,
and the Company has complied, in all material respects, with all terms and
conditions contained in all such consents, approvals, authorizations and orders
as have been obtained.
9. The
Securities have been duly authorized by the Company and, when issued and
delivered by the Company pursuant to the Purchase Agreement against payment of
the consideration set forth in the Purchase Agreement, will be validly issued
and fully paid and nonassessable, and no holder of the Securities is or will be
subject to personal liability in respect of liabilities of the Company solely by
reason of being a holder of Securities.
10. The
issuance of the Securities is not subject to the preemptive rights of any
securityholder of the Company.
11. The
Registration Statement is effective under the 1933 Act, and, to the best of my
knowledge, no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration
Statement
A-3
has been
issued under Section 8(d) of the 1933 Act and no proceedings for that purpose
have been instituted by the Commission or are pending or threatened by the
Commission. The FWP has been filed in the manner and within the time
period required by Rule 433(d) under the 1933 Act, and the Pricing Prospectus
and the Prospectus have been filed in the manner and within the time period
required by Rule 424(b) under the 1933 Act.
12. The
documents incorporated by reference in the Prospectus (other than the financial
statements, including the notes thereto, the financial schedules and the other
financial data included or incorporated by reference therein and with respect to
the Statement of Eligibility on Form T-1 filed as Exhibit 25.01 to the
Registration Statement, as to which I express no opinion), when they were filed
with the Commission, complied as to form in all material respects with the
requirements of the 1934 Act and the 1934 Act Regulations.
13. The
form of certificate used to evidence the Securities complies in all material
respects with all applicable statutory requirements, with any applicable
requirements of the certificate of incorporation and bylaws of the Company and
with the requirements of the New York Stock Exchange.
14. Except
as disclosed in the Prospectus, there is not pending or, to the best of my
knowledge, threatened, action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation, to
which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party, or to which the
property of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject, before or brought
by any court or governmental agency or body, domestic or foreign, which could
reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, or which could
reasonably be expected to materially and adversely affect the consummation of
the transactions contemplated in the Purchase Agreement or the performance by
the Company of its obligations thereunder.
I am not
passing upon and do not assume responsibility for the accuracy, completeness or
fairness of the statements contained in the Registration Statement, the
Disclosure Package or the Prospectus and make no representations that I have
independently verified the accuracy, completeness or fairness of such
statements, except insofar as such statements refer specifically to
me. However, based on my or my representatives’ examination of the
Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, on my general
familiarity with the affairs of the Company and on my or my representatives’
participation in conferences with officials and other representatives of, and
other counsel for, the Company, with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, the independent
accountants of the Company, and with your representatives and your counsel, I do
not believe that (a) the Registration Statement, on the date of the
effectiveness of the Registration Statement as provided in Rule 430B(f)(2) under
the 1933 Act, contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to
state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the
statements therein not misleading, (b) the Disclosure Package, as of the
Applicable Time, contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to
state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the
light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, or (c)
the Prospectus, as of its date contained, or as of the date hereof contains, an
untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or omits to state a material fact
necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the
circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The
foregoing statement is subject to the qualification that that I am not
expressing opinion or belief on the financial
A-4
statements,
including the notes thereto, the financial schedules and the other financial
data included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the
Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or with respect to the Statement of
Eligibility on Form T-1 filed as Exhibit 25.01 to the Registration
Statement.
I am a
member of the Bar of the District of Columbia, and I express no opinion herein
as to any laws other than the laws of the District of Columbia, the General
Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, the federal laws of the United States
and, with respect to the opinions set forth in paragraph 3, the Virginia Stock
Corporation Act, the Maryland General Corporation Law and the New Jersey
Business Corporation Act.
The
opinions contained herein are rendered solely for your benefit and may not be
relied on by any other person, except that I hereby authorize Xxxxx &
XxXxxxx LLP, in connection with rendering its opinion to you on the date hereof
relating to the offer and sale of the Securities, to rely on this opinion with
respect to matters governed by the laws of the District of Columbia, the State
of Delaware (except such matters that relate expressly to the Company, are
governed by the Delaware General Corporation Law and are expressly addressed
therein), the Virginia Stock Corporation Act, the Maryland General Corporation
Law and the New Jersey Business Corporation Act. The opinions expressed in this
letter are limited to the matters set forth herein, and no opinion should be
inferred beyond those opinions expressly stated. I assume no
obligation to advise you of any facts that come to my attention, or any changes
in law, subsequent to the date hereof.
Very truly
yours,
Xxxx X.
Xxxx
A-5
Exhibit
B
Form
of Opinion of Xxxxxxxxx & Xxxxxxx LLP
[LETTERHEAD
OF XXXXXXXXX & XXXXXXX]
November
12, 2008
Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxx & Co. Incorporated
0000
Xxxxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx,
Xxx Xxxx 00000
Credit
Suisse Securities (USA) LLC
Eleven
Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx,
Xxx Xxxx 00000
X.X.
Xxxxxx Securities Inc.
000 Xxxx
Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx,
Xxx Xxxx 00000
As
Representatives of the Several Underwriters
Ladies
and Gentlemen:
We have
acted as special counsel to Pepco Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the
“Company”), in connection with the issuance and sale by the Company of
14,000,000 shares (the “Securities”) of its common stock, par value $0.01 per
share (the “Common Stock”), pursuant to the Purchase Agreement, dated November
5, 2008 (the “Purchase Agreement”), among the Company and the Underwriters (as
defined in the Purchase Agreement). This opinion is being delivered
to you in accordance with Section 5(a)(ii) of the Purchase
Agreement. Unless otherwise defined herein, capitalized terms used
herein have the respective meanings provided in the Purchase
Agreement.
We have
reviewed:
(i) the
Purchase Agreement;
(ii) the
Registration Statement on Form S-3, Registration No. 333-145691, filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) on August 24, 2007 (the
“Registration Statement”), registering, inter alia, the Securities
for sale under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933
Act”);
(iii) the
preliminary prospectus, consisting of the prospectus, dated August 24, 2007 (the
“Base Prospectus”), as supplemented by a preliminary prospectus supplement,
dated
B-1
November 5,
2008, with respect to the offer and sale of the Securities, filed with the
Commission on November 5, 2008, pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the 1933 Act (the
“Pricing Prospectus”);
(iv) the
issuer free writing prospectus, dated November 5, 2008, filed with the
Commission on November 5, 2008, pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the 1933 Act (the
“FWP”);
(v) the
information with respect to the price per share to be paid by the Underwriters
for the Initial Securities and the Option Securities pursuant to the Purchase
Agreement (such information, together with the FWP and the Pricing Prospectus,
the “Disclosure Package”);
(vi) the
final prospectus, consisting of the Base Prospectus, as supplemented by a final
prospectus supplement, dated November 5, 2008, with respect to the offer and
sale of the Securities, filed with the Commission on November 6, 2008, pursuant
to Rule 424(b) under the 1933 Act (the “Prospectus”); and
(vii) a
copy of Certificate of Stock No. [ ] representing the
Securities.
We also
have reviewed such corporate records, certificates and other documents, and such
questions of law, as we have deemed necessary or appropriate for the purposes of
rendering this opinion.
We have
assumed that all signatures are genuine, that all documents submitted to us as
originals are authentic and that all copies of documents submitted to us conform
to the originals. We have assumed further that (i) the Company is a
corporation duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws
of the State of Delaware, (ii) the Company has all legal right, power and
authority and has obtained all authorizations and approvals of governmental
authorities necessary (A) to issue and sell the Securities and (B) to execute,
deliver and perform its obligations under the Purchase Agreement, and (iii) the
Securities will constitute valid securities within the meaning of Section
8-110(a)(1) of the Delaware Uniform Commercial Code.
We have
made no investigation for the purpose of verifying the assumptions set forth
herein.
We have
relied as to certain matters on information obtained from public officials,
officers of the Company and other sources believed by us to be responsible, and
on information regarding the Company contained in the Registration Statement and
the Prospectus.
As used
in this opinion, all references to the “Registration Statement,” the “Pricing
Prospectus” and the “Prospectus” include all material incorporated by reference
therein, to the extent not modified or superseded by statements and other
information in the Registration Statement, Pricing Prospectus or Prospectus or
in later filed material so incorporated. In addition, the
qualification in paragraph 3 of this letter “to the best of our knowledge” means
the actual knowledge, but not constructive or imputed knowledge, of the
attorneys in our firm who have given substantive attention to the transaction
that is the subject of this opinion, without any representation or implication
that any inquiry has been made with respect to such statements.
B-2
Based
upon the foregoing, and subject to the qualifications set forth below, we are of
the opinion that:
1. The
Purchase Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the
Company.
2. The
Securities have been duly authorized by the Company and, when issued and
delivered by the Company pursuant to the Purchase Agreement against payment of
the consideration set forth in the Purchase Agreement, will be validly issued
and fully paid and nonassessable, and no holder of the Securities is or will be
subject to personal liability in respect of liabilities of the Company solely by
reason of being a holder of Securities.
3. The
Registration Statement is effective under the 1933 Act and, to the best of our
knowledge, no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration
Statement has been issued under the 1933 Act and no proceedings for that purpose
have been instituted or are pending or threatened by the
Commission. The FWP has been filed in the manner and within the time
period required by Rule 433(d) under the 1933 Act, and the Pricing Prospectus
and the Prospectus have each been filed in the manner and within the time period
required by Rule 424(b) under the 1933 Act.
4. The
Registration Statement, on the date of the effectiveness of the Registration
Statement as provided in Rule 430B(f)(2) under the 1933 Act, and the Prospectus,
as of the date thereof (excluding the documents incorporated in the Registration
Statement or the Prospectus by reference and other than the financial
statements, including the notes thereto, the financial schedules and the other
financial and statistical data included therein and with respect to the
Statement of Eligibility on Form T-1 filed as Exhibit 25.01 to the Registration
Statement, as to which we express no opinion), complied as to form in all
material respects with the requirements of the 1933 Act and the rules and
regulations of the Commission thereunder.
5. The
information in the Prospectus under “Description of Common Stock,” and in the
Registration Statement under Item 15, to the extent that it constitutes matters
of law, summaries of the Company’s certificate of incorporation and bylaws or
legal conclusions, has been reviewed by us and is accurate in all material
respects.
6. The
Company is not, and upon the issuance and sale of the Securities as contemplated
by the Prospectus and the application of the net proceeds therefrom as described
in the Prospectus, will not be, an “investment company” or an entity
“controlled” by an “investment company,” as such terms are defined in the
Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
In
addition, as special counsel to the Company, we reviewed the Registration
Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and participated in
discussions with your representatives and those of the Company, your counsel and
the Company’s accountants. On the basis of the information which was
reviewed by us in the course of the performance of the services referred to
above, considered in the light of our understanding of the applicable law and
the experience we have gained through our practice under the Federal securities
laws, we confirm to you that nothing came to our attention in the course of such
review which has caused us to believe that (a) the Registration Statement, on
the date of the effectiveness of the
B-3
Registration
Statement as provided in Rule 430B(f)(2) under the 1933 Act, contained an untrue
statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be
stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, (b)
the Disclosure Package, as of the Applicable Time (as specified in the Purchase
Agreement), contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state
a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the
circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, or (c) the Prospectus,
as of its date, contained, or as of the date hereof contains an untrue statement
of a material fact or omitted or omits to state a material fact necessary to
make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they
were made, not misleading.
The
limitations inherent in the independent verification of factual matters and the
character of determinations involved in the registration process are such,
however, that we do not assume any responsibility for the accuracy, completeness
or fairness of the statements contained in the Registration Statement, the
Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, except as specified in paragraph 5
above. Also, we do not express any opinion or belief as to the
financial statements, including the notes thereto, the financial schedules and
the other financial and statistical data included or incorporated by reference
in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or with
respect to the Statement of Eligibility on Form T-1 filed as Exhibit 25.01 to
the Registration Statement.
We are
members of the bar of the District of Columbia and the State of New
York. We do not express any opinion herein on any laws other than the
laws of the State of New York, the Delaware General Corporation Law and, to the
extent expressly referred to herein, the Federal laws of the United
States.
This
letter is solely for your benefit and may not be disclosed to or relied upon by
any other person without our written consent.
Very
truly yours,
B-4
Exhibit C
Form
of Lock-Up Agreement
PEPCO
HOLDINGS, INC.
Lock-Up
Agreement
November
12, 2008
Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxx & Co. Incorporated
0000
Xxxxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx,
Xxx Xxxx 00000
Credit
Suisse Securities (USA) LLC
Eleven
Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx,
Xxx Xxxx 00000
X.X.
Xxxxxx Securities Inc.
000 Xxxx
Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx,
Xxx Xxxx 00000
As
Representatives of the Several Underwriters
Ladies
and Gentlemen:
The
undersigned understands that Pepco Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the
“Company”), has entered
into a Purchase Agreement, dated November 5, 2008, (the “Purchase Agreement”) with
yourselves and the other individuals named therein (collectively with
yourselves, the “Underwriters”), for which your
are acting as representatives (the “Representatives”), providing
for an offering of shares (the “Shares”) of common stock,
$0.01 par value per share (the “Common Stock”) of the
Company.
In
consideration of the agreement by the Underwriters to purchase the Shares from
the Company, and of other good and valuable consideration the receipt and
sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the undersigned agrees that,
during the period beginning from the date hereof and continuing to and including
the date that is 90 days after the date of the Purchase Agreement, the
undersigned will not, without the prior written consent of the Representatives
on behalf of the Underwriters, offer, sell, contract to sell, pledge, grant any
option to purchase, make any short sale or otherwise dispose of any shares of
the Common Stock of the Company, or any options or warrants to purchase any
shares of Common Stock, or any securities convertible into, exchangeable for or
that represent the right to receive shares of Common Stock, whether now owned or
hereinafter acquired, owned directly by the undersigned (including holding as a
custodian) or with respect to which the undersigned has beneficial ownership
within the meaning of rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange
Commission (collectively the “Undersigned’s
Shares”).
The
foregoing restriction is expressly agreed to preclude the undersigned from
engaging in any hedging or other transaction which is designed to or which
reasonably could be expected to lead to or result in a sale or disposition of
the Undersigned’s Shares even if such Shares would be disposed of by someone
other than the undersigned. Such prohibited hedging
C-1
or other
transactions would include without limitation any short sale or any purchase,
sale or grant of any right (including without limitation any put or call option)
with respect to any of the Undersigned’s Shares or with respect to any security
that includes, relates to, or derives any significant part of its value from the
Undersigned’s Shares.
Notwithstanding
the foregoing, the restrictions contained in this letter shall not apply to (i)
transfers of shares of Common Stock or options to purchase the Common Stock made
as a bona fide gift or gifts, provided that (A) the donee or donees thereof
agree to be bound in writing by the restrictions set forth herein, or (B) such
gift is a charitable donation to a tax exempt organization in an amount of 5% or
less of the Common Stock owned at the date hereof by the undersigned, (ii)
transfers of shares of Common Stock or options to purchase the Common Stock made
to any trust for the direct or indirect benefit of the undersigned or the
immediate family of the undersigned, provided that the trustee of the trust
agrees to be bound in writing by the restrictions set forth herein and provided
further that any such transfer shall not involve a disposition for value or
(iii) sales under 10b-5(1) plans established prior to the date
hereof. For purposes of this Lock-Up Agreement, “immediate family”
shall mean any relationship by blood, marriage or adoption, not more remote than
first cousin. The undersigned agrees and consents to the entry of
stop transfer instructions with the Company’s transfer agent and registrar
against the transfer of the Undersigned’s Shares except in compliance with the
foregoing restrictions.
The
undersigned understands that the Company and the Underwriters are relying upon
this Lock-Up Agreement in proceeding toward consummation of the
offering. The undersigned further understands that this Lock-Up
Agreement is irrevocable and shall be binding upon the undersigned’s heirs,
legal representatives, successors, and assigns.
If for
any reason the Purchase Agreement shall be terminated prior to the Closing Time
(as defined in the Purchase Agreement), this Lock-Up Agreement shall terminate
automatically.
Very truly
yours,
_________________________
Name:
Title:
C-2